The Lament
by FlamingWolf
Summary: The full story behind my earlier Lament for Heero


Author's Note: I am using several words from Mercedes Lackey's books, including: ke'chara (used by females meaning beloved, kinsman, or a dear friend), ashke (used by males meaning love), shay'a'chern ("One interested in one like to one's self", homosexual), shach (slang for shay'a'chern), Leareth (darkness/Lady Death), she'enedra (loosely translated as best friend, Shield sworn sibling, or perhaps oath sworn partner), and sketi (shit). Ke'chara ashke (unused in this story, but for future reference) means "Dearest beloved" or "Much beloved friend". This is the full story behind "Lament for Heero", except Relena's still a virgin (at least as far as Heero's concerned, I don't know what she might have been doing backstage, behind his back.), and Duo wasn't an actress, she has a different background story. "Lament for Heero" takes place around February, AC 197. And yes, the child is Heero's and not Wufei's. I could already see that question coming. This takes place after the story is over, but the events mentioned cover both the manga and anime, so all details are correct. That said, enjoy.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
The Lament  
  
By: Night Star  
  
AC 195, December, Space Port, J.A.P. point 3:00  
  
"Heero!" Relena called after the retreating figure. He stopped and turned around. She ripped up the card she held, and said, "Next time, invite me face to face!"  
  
"All right," He responded good-naturedly, catching Duo, who stood nearby, by surprise. "Why don't you come by the safe house tonight for dinner around seven, unless you would rather I take you somewhere else?"  
  
"No, that's fine." She said, as caught by surprise as the nearby pilot.  
  
"All right," Heero affirmed. "See you at seven."  
  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
  
Blindly, Duo threw down the rag and ran, as though "his" life depended on it. Deathscythe would have to wait until after-  
  
After what? After "he" had seen Relena and Heero, after many dates, happily married with kids? After "he" had died after a life filled with heartache because "his" love had fallen in love and married someone else?"  
  
Unseeingly, "he" ran into a solid, masculine form, and clung to it. A familiar scent filled "his" nose, and "he" looked up into the face of Wufei.  
  
"Hey, Duo, I believe in comforting friends as much as the next guy, but let's not give anyone any ideas about us, huh?"  
  
Why was everybody in such a good mood today? Heero responding in more than a grunt, Wufei making jokes. Yeah, the war was finally over, yeah, they had cause to celebrate, but why, oh why couldn't any one see that "his" life was coming down around "his" ears?  
  
"Hey, what's wrong?" Wufei asked, sounding concerned now. Embarrassed, Duo pushed away from him.  
  
"It's your turn to cook tonight, right?" Not waiting for an answer, "he" rushed on, "I want you to poison Relena and Heero tonight, when she comes over for dinner. What do you have? If need be, I can lend you some money to go buy something."  
  
"I think I still have some Night Shade left over." Wufei responded straight-faced, but then, Wufei was almost always straight-faced. In reality, he was almost as fond of clowning around as Duo "himself", or maybe even Trowa. He almost groaned at "his" own bad joke.  
  
"Good. Give them as heavy a dose as you can, without the police being able to trace the poison back to you." "He" commanded.  
  
"Look, Duo, you and Quatre have spent most of this year trying to get those two together, and when he finally asks her out, you change your mind. Can you keep it made up for once? Why the sudden change of heart?"  
  
Because of my heart! "He" thought desperately. I didn't realize how much I loved him until Relena accepted a date!   
  
Somehow, he pulled himself together to respond,  
  
"Because it's not fair. He gets the most powerful woman in the world, while the rest of us haven't had a girlfriend in years! Besides, I'll bet Zechs Merquise gets more erotic exercise in a week than I've ever had in my life. Of course, that's not hard, since I'm still a virgin." Duo mused. Wufei actually chuckled, before pulling himself back together.  
  
"It looks like the enforced lack of females hasn't bothered Quatre and Trowa very much." He said, looking over Duo's head. Duo turned and gasped involuntarily, as "he" saw the two wrapped in an embrace that was only overshadowed by their kiss.  
  
"So, is your jealousy enough? Do I still need to poison the love birds when she comes over tonight?" Wufei asked. Duo pretended to think about it for a minute, biting "his" lip, then shook "his" head "Negative." "He" said, with a mischievous grin. "They're going to need a chaperone or two to keep an eye them. Care to join me?"  
  
"Sure. I've never been a chaperone. Chaperoned, yes. It might be fun."  
  
Duo nodded, and went back to "his" repairs on Deathscythe, but he could've sworn he heard Wufei mutter once he was out of range of sight,  
  
"But who's gonna chaperone the chaperones?"  
  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
  
AC 195, December, Safehouse, 7:00  
  
The doorbell rang at seven sharp. Heero went to answer it, while Wufei served up the couple's meal and surreptitiously took up a spot on the stairs with Duo to watch. The two "chaperones" found themselves yawning.  
  
"God!" Duo muttered under "his" breath. "We don't have to worry about anything that those two might do. All they seem to be accomplishing is yapping and making me want to snooze."  
  
"I don't know," Wufei said, "If they don't stop staring at each other like that, I just might go in and tell them to get a room."  
  
"Wufei!" Duo gasped. Wufei shrugged and boldly looked "him" over.  
  
"Why not? It would give us some time alone." He replied huskily, his eyes running over Duo's soft, woman-like lips, caressing down the other pilot's body.  
  
Duo stared at him in amazement. Oh, God, he thinks I'm a man! I never would have thought Wufei for a shay'a'chern! Or does he know-  
  
The rest of his thought was cut off by pure shock, for at that moment, Wufei reached around and pulled "him" into "his" arms, his insistent lips parting Duo's, his tongue starting to explore the corners of "his" mouth, and Duo felt "himself" beginning to respond to that kiss.  
  
"NO!" He cried, pulling away, willing "himself" not to look into Wufei's hurt eyes. "Wufei, I can't! Don't make me something I'm not! I'm not in love with you and I don't want to be a shach!"  
  
Turning, he ran upstairs, and threw "himself" into the bathroom. Trembling, he undressed and untied "his" hair. Turning on the shower full blast, "he" stepped under, and within seconds felt calmer.  
  
"He" was just getting ready to step out, when the bathroom door opened.  
  
Oh, sketi, I forgot to lock the door! "He" thought, as Heero Yuy gazed upon "him", "his" secret out at last.  
  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
  
Moments earlier, downstairs, Heero had excused himself to go use the latrine. He found the door closed and knocked, but there was no response. Shrugging, he opened the door and found himself gazing on the shock of his life.  
  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
  
"Duo!" He gasped. Angrily, he threw himself forward and grabbed the other pilot by the hair. Duo grabbed a towel and pulled it around "himself" as Heero marched "him" down the stairs and into the pilots' common room. The other three were already in there.  
  
"Hey, what's this all about?" Wufei demanded furiously, seeing the "man" he was in love with treated this way. Heero, too enraged to speak merely pulled down the towel just low enough to reveal the curves of two small breasts. Getting his composure, somewhat, he growled,  
  
"I think 'Mr.' Maxwell owes us an explanation!"  
  
"At least let me go get something on first!"  
  
Letting her go, Heero snarled,  
  
"You have two minutes."  
  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
  
In her room, Duo's mind raced as she pulled on her pilot's suit. Oh, god, how had she been so careless? Could she get away without the others knowing? No, they'd hear the front door close. Could she sneak out of her window? No, she'd have to go by the common room.  
  
She sank down on the bed.  
  
Oh, God, if Heero doesn't kill me, my father will. He'll hear of it sometime. For fifteen years, he's had a son. He doesn't know I'm a girl. No, he's a priest of the grey order. He can't kill me. So what? He'll sacrifice his soul to kill my mother and I for this outrageous lie! Well, I'm going to die sooner or later, so I'd better make it sooner. Maybe I can even die with honor.   
  
She reached down under her bed and pulled out her dober pistil.  
  
A gunshot rang through the safehouse.  
  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
  
Immediately upon hearing it, Wufei jumped to his feet and ran upstairs; the others close behind him. Entering the room, he saw a bullet whole in the wall behind Duo, and her raising her shaking hand for a second shot, tears standing in her eyes, but not falling. She had trained herself too well. He ran to the bedside and grabbed the gun out of her hand. He dropped it beside the bed, and pulled her into his arms.  
  
"Duo, what's wrong?" He asked, uncharacteristically gentle. "What happened?"  
  
"My hand was trembling too much and I missed a shot at God-be-damned point black range!" She swore.  
  
"What's wrong?" He persisted.  
  
"I've had to lie to you guys and now you all hate me for it. Heero's going to kill me, and if he doesn't, my father will murder first my mom and then me for lying to him." She said in a dull, emotionless voice, leaning against his chest. The other pilots had come up, and the stopped dead at the sight of Duo curled up in Wufei's arms and at her pronouncement.  
  
"What do you mean?" Quatre asked.  
  
"What I mean is- Oh, God, I may as well tell you the whole thing." She cleared her throat and began,  
  
"My father is a member of the gray order of priests, meaning he can get married. He married my mother. She had twelve daughters. He swore, when he found out that there was to be another child, that if the thirteenth were a girl, he'd kill her and my mother as well. You see-" She broke off with a bitter smile. "Like you, Wufei, he believed all women were weak and superior. Anyway, I was born. My mother was afraid. She immediately disguised me as a boy. I was raised to act like a male, talk like a male, like boy-type things, and, generally, be a boy. I could pull it off because I'm not as beautiful as my sisters are. Papa said that if I were a woman, I'd be the ugliest bitch in the valley. I've had to bind my chest flat since I was ten, and practice speaking like a man. God, I'm glad I can have that small 'chest pain' I've always been afflicted with die now."  
  
She gave a harsh laugh, and continued,  
  
"He wanted me to join the gray orders as he had. I refused because I was afraid of being found out, and because I'm not really the pious type. That same day, the Doctor came to our town, looking for an assistant. My father came to him and said, 'my son is worthless to me. Take him.'  
  
"I thus became the Doctor's assistant. He never discovered my secret. I've been a man for so much of my life that I sometimes forget that I'm not one."  
  
She looked up at Wufei, and suddenly her emotionless voice cracked.  
  
"Why, Wufei? Why didn't you let me kill myself? I could have saved some of the honor that Heero took away from me when he yanked me out of the bathroom like a whore in a tavern. And if Heero doesn't kill me, my life and that of my mother are forfeit to my father."  
  
Surprising everyone, Heero said softly,  
  
"I'm not going to kill you Duo. You didn't lie to us over some small, meaningless thing. Your life is endangered because of me finding out. I wasn't thinking clearly, because I was so astounded."  
  
Further astonishing them, he knelt and took Duo from Wufei. Tenderly, he whispered,  
  
"Ashke, you're one of my she'enedra. I'll never let anyone hurt you again."  
  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
  
Trowa left the room, but a moment later he was back.  
  
"Hey, Heero, your girlfriend's worried sick down there about you. She heard the gunshot, but is too polite to go sticking her nose where she wasn't invited."  
  
"She's not my girlfriend!" Heero growled, though somewhat absently, as he handed Duo back to Wufei and started back down the stairs. Entering the dining room, he apologized,  
  
"I'm sorry. We've all had a bit of a shock, and Duo's had such a bad night that she decided to use her head as target practice. Luckily, she missed, due to a trembling hand."  
  
"Umm, Heero, you just called Duo a 'she'."  
  
Heero cringed visibly, but there was nothing for it.  
  
"Relena, you must swear never to tell anyone. Forget my slip. If anyone finds out that Duo is female, then she will be assassinated. I'm sorry that we were interrupted. Perhaps another time?"  
  
She looked at him, noted the absent look in his eyes, and replied,  
  
"No, I don't think there will be another time, Heero. We're still friends, or will be I hope, but there's not anything more between us. Duo has seen to that."  
  
Turning, she left the house, and the sound of a car engine leaving the drive was the only sound heard throughout the house.  
  
It was the last time anyone saw her alive.  
  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
  
The next night on the news, there was an obituary. Apparently, the "Queen of Peace", Relena Peacecraft was so blinded by tears, that she didn't see the sharp turn in time. The car crashed over the embankment and she was drowned in the river. Her body was found crushed, still in the driver's seat.  
  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
  
Heero, of course, was devastated. The other pilots tried to comfort him, but he found the most solace in Duo. The two took to staying up late nights, just talking. Soon the two were closer than she'enedra, but weren't lovers. But both held that particular emotion in their hearts. Wufei noticed this and despaired, but began to love Duo only from a distance.  
  
One night, all of this changed.  
  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
  
AC 196, June, Safehouse, around Midnight  
  
Duo chuckled, glad, as she always was these days, that she didn't have to kill her voice trying to make her laugh deep and resonant. Heero looked surprised.  
  
"What's so funny about that?"  
  
"Nothing, I was remembering that huge crush Dorothy had on you. Hell, she might still have it, ke'chara!"  
  
Heero groaned.  
  
"Don't remind me! God I hated that woman. It was even worse when we found out that she was a traitor. Besides, I have all the problems I could ever need from a woman already, in the form of a beguiling pilot, you little mound of sketi!"  
  
Duo tried hard to look indignant, but failed miserably when she began to yawn. She glanced at her chronometer.  
  
"Oh, God, I didn't realize it was THAT late! I hope you don't mind, but I'm going to bed."  
  
"Affirmative. I've gotta get some sleep, too, wench." Heero said, climbing to his feet. Duo glared at him, but he only chuckled, crossed the room, and pulled her to his her feet.  
  
Unfortunately, Little Relena, a kitten they'd found half drowned after a thunderstorm, had other plans for the two deviating from their seeking out their own respective bedchambers. She wrapped herself around Duo's slender ankle as she began to step back away from Heero. Caught off balance, Duo fell forward into Heero's arms. Embarrassed, she glanced up at him as she began to pull away, and found him  
  
regarding her with an odd fire in his eyes that she'd only seen in Wufei's when he'd first seen the newly modified "Nataku". She reddened at the thought, and figured she was reading Heero wrong. That hungry desire couldn't possibly be for HER!  
  
Then she felt one of those strong arms tighten around her back, and the other one slid down her spine, over her buttocks, until it reached the end of her braid. In a swift motion, the leather twine was on the floor, and her hair fell down her back like a silky waterfall. He ran his hand slowly through it, freeing it even more, unsnarling the tangles. Duo found it was hard to breathe and that, try as she might, she couldn't think of anything but his arm around her waist and the caressing motion of his hand through her hair. Her head fell back a little, and her lips parted slightly as she just allowed herself to enjoy it. Heero gave a low groan and whispered,  
  
"Damnit, sorceress, what're you doing to me?"  
  
He bent slightly, and covered her soft mouth with his own, crushing her to his chest. In a quick motion, he swung her up into his arms, and carried her upstairs, into his own chamber. He laid her tenderly on the bed, never breaking the kiss. He slid his lips from hers and down her throat. He stopped at the high collar of the priest's garments and whispered against her jugular, sending a thrill of primitive fear through her;  
  
"You'll be a lot more comfortable without that."  
  
His hands glided down, unbuttoning the uniform, setting fire to the skin beneath, and Duo gave in to her deepest, most suppressed emotions…  
  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
  
The comlink went off. Swearing, Heero sat up. A sleepy Duo stirred next to him, and he remembered the events of the night. He stood up, tenderly caressed her cheek, and went answer it, remembering just in time to pull on a pair of breeches first.  
  
"Heero here." He barked into it. Trowa came out of Quatre's bedroom to stand beside him. The static cleared, and Heero took an involuntary step back as his mentor stared at him across the airwaves.  
  
"Doctor J, you're dead!"  
  
"Unfortunately, not. Ah, good, Trowa Barton. I'm gonna need both of you. Treize is no more dead than I am. His fleet is arriving out of dimension five within a few hours. This is our chance to be rid of him completely. I think the two of you will be more than enough. Be at the entry point in half an hour."  
  
Habit took over, and Heero was at attention and affirming the command before he realized he had even gotten completely awake. The good Doctor signed off, and Heero turned with a weary sigh.  
  
"Trowa, let's suit up."  
  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
  
"This so incredible BASTARD!" Heero swore into his Comm link. Trowa gave a grunt of agreement as he dodged a neutron blast out of the hated end of a Dober rifle. Concernedly, Heero ran his eyes over the battlefield, and came to a horrifying conclusion to this battle.  
  
"Trowa! If we manage to annihilate the flagships, the babies are as good as dead!"  
  
"Tell me something I don't know, like how you intend to accomplish that, maybe!" The other pilot barked back, distractedly. Heero smirked, grimly,  
  
"I have an idea, but something tells me you're not gonna like it!"  
  
"What?"  
  
"I ram "Mortal Fury", and you take out "Bloody Fist" the same way. The shrapnel will shred the following ships, and we'll be well rid of these sons of bitches."  
  
"And well rid of ourselves."  
  
"You got a better idea, Barton? If so, I'd love to hear it!"  
  
He heard Trowa sigh, and reply,  
  
"Nah. Oh, hell, let's do this!"  
  
Heero changed vector and course heading.  
  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
  
When the deed was unstoppable, Heero opened a communications line.  
  
"Treize, you asshole, you wanna look out the window?"  
  
Kushrenada looked up and snapped,  
  
"Evasive maneuvers, now!"  
  
"Too late!" Heero allowed himself a chuckle of satisfaction as Gundanium met hull plating. He quickly hit the self-destruction sequence, too maximize the blast. Flames filled the cockpit, and as he started to burn, Heero thought,  
  
Maybe we should've told the others where we were going. God, don't let Duo do anything stupid. I'm gonna miss the bitch, even in heaven. Ha, most likely hell the way I've lived.   
  
Then, there was blackness.  
  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
  
Wearily, Heero opened his eyes, and blinked in disbelief.  
  
"No, I'm not Duo." A soft, beautiful woman's voice whispered softly, a chuckle in it.  
  
"I'm your Leareth."  
  
"The Shadow Lover!" Heero gasped in disbelief. The woman nodded.  
  
"It worked, my ke'chara. You made a difference. Trieze is meeting his Lady Death, as you are seeing me. None of his fleet survived. Trowa may live, but as one in a dream. He sustained a head injury in the crash. You are dead, my love. Are you tired?"  
  
As Lady Death asked the question, Heero found himself wanting rest as desperately as he'd wanted Duo the night before. Sleepily, he nodded, rested his head on her breast, and softly drifted into death, barely noticing her arms slid around him.  
  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
  
Duo awoke with a start. She moved slightly, and felt an odd wetness between her legs. Suddenly, her mind snapped back to the night before, and she made sense of it all.  
  
My GOD, what have I brought about? She thought desperately, then sighed. Oh, hell, what's done is done. Literally in this case. He could have had the common courtesy to wait for me to wake up, at least. Men! Where is he?   
  
She sat up. Confidant that no one would barge into Heero's room, she allowed the blankets to slide down, and stared out the window, thinking.  
  
Why did I do that? How could I lose control of myself like that? A pause, then, What woke me up? I was sound asleep not two minutes ago.   
  
Her reverie was shattered by Wufei's voice calling,  
  
"Hey Heero?" As he pushed open the door. Duo made a quick grab for the blanket, but she wasn't fast enough. He came in, and stopped, his face an unreadable mask, but his eyes reflected a sudden shot of pure agony.  
  
"Oh, Duo." He said neutrally, his face a diplomatic mask. "I was looking for Heero, but he evidently isn't here. Both he and Trowa are missing." He turned to leave, but evidently his pain got the better of him and he stopped, though he didn't turn to face her.  
  
"So, I'm not good enough to kiss you, but Heero is such a paragon that you can share his bed? How did you enjoy being his latest whore?"  
  
"What?" She snapped, outraged.  
  
He finally did turn to meet her eyes as he responded; "Didn't you realize? Last night was the sixth month anniversary of Relena's death. In case you didn't notice, every month, on the twenty-ninth, he beds a different woman to try to make himself forget her."  
  
He felt a small pang of conscience at that lie as he saw her eyes, tear filled, and loaded with betrayal, misery, and self-chastisement, but shook it off, replying,  
  
"How does it feel, Duo? How does it feel to be betrayed by someone you love, because you think that they may care for you, or that you may MAKE them care? That's what I feel whenever I look at you, and now I find that you've run to the bed of one of my she'enedra."  
  
Duo gasped, half in disbelief, half in fury. Wufei grinned maliciously and crossed the room to the bedside. Tearing away the blankets, he yanked her into his arms and carried her into his own room. He dropped her on his cot, and whispered against her lips,  
  
"I will not have you in Heero's bed, you thrice damned slut. You will offer your services to me in my own chamber."  
  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
  
Quatre heard Duo screaming from Wufei's room. He jumped out of bed and ran to his fellow pilot's room, wrapping his robe tightly around himself.  
  
"Wufei, stop!" He called, but the other warrior was beyond all sense, beyond all hearing. Quatre ran to the bed, and tried to yank him off of Duo, trying to stop the rape, but an inhuman madness was on him, supplying the other with demonic strength. With a vicious backhand he knocked Quatre into the wall, and Quatre blacked out just as he heard another scream torn from Duo's throat.  
  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
  
Duo stopped thinking about the pain, about anything, and just let it happen.  
  
And then it was over. Dimly, he heard Wufei say hoarsely,  
  
"I'm sorry I had to hurt you, Duo, but I will not let another man have the pleasure of your company in bed, without extracting some of my own. I don't care if you call it lust, but I do want you, Duo. Badly enough to put my soul in hell."  
  
He left the room, still in a blind rage; thoughtless of the pain he'd just caused Duo, unaware that he had thrown Quatre into a wall. Duo waited until he knew that Wufei was out of earshot then began to sob violently.  
  
Quatre was awoken by that sound. Groggily, he held a hand to his head, and crawled to the bedside. Duo, in an unbalanced frame of mind, pulled away, fear written on her face. He reached up and wrapped the sheet around Duo, toga style, than sat beside her on the mattress, taking her into his arms. Roughly, in a self-accusatory voice, he said,  
  
"I'm sorry. I tried to stop him. I'll make sure it doesn't happen again. I swear this to you, Duo. I may extract a blood oath."  
  
Duo rested her head against Quatre's chest.  
  
Then he realized Quatre didn't have a chest. "He" had breasts.  
  
Her head shot up in surprise and she stared at the other pilot in shock. Quatre blushed and, as modestly as possible, pulled the robe open just enough for Duo to see the small curves.  
  
The pure irony of the situation was all of a sudden too much for Duo. She threw back her head and laughed, knowing Quatre would think her crazy, knowing the sound would further infuriate Wufei, but she didn't care. Duo just let herself laugh.  
  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
  
AC 196, September, Kitchen Table, 9:00  
  
Quatre came in to find Duo already at the breakfast table.  
  
"Duo, it's Saturday."  
  
"And?"  
  
"And you're out of bed before noon."  
  
"And what does this have to do with the price of Metal in Milwaukee?"  
  
"You are NEVER even awake, let alone eating breakfast, before noon on a Saturday."  
  
"I have a doctor's appointment, all right?"  
  
Huffily, Duo stood and walked out of the kitchen, diving out of Wufei's way, into the broom closet, on her way out the front door.  
  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
  
AC 196, September, Doctor's Office, 11:35  
  
"What in the name of HELL do you mean I'm pregnant?" Duo shouted, looking rather ticked. The poor doctor wearily closed his eyes and shook his head.  
  
"I'm sorry, but the test came up positive."  
  
Duo sat in shock as the doctor gave her the traditional talking to. Midway through his lecture, she slid to the floor in a faint.  
  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
  
Duo never was sure how she got home from the doctor's office that day, nor was she quite sure of what happened with in the next nine months. One day, on her daughter's third-month-birthday, Duo seemed to wake up and take notice again.  
  
The missing pilots were home.  
  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
  
AC 197, May, Dark Realms, between life and the Realms of the Dead  
  
Heero woke up abruptly, his head still resting on Leareth's shoulder.  
  
"Where am I?"  
  
"Hush, Ke'chara. You're safe. Sleep, my cherished." Lady Death crooned softly, tenderly, soothingly. Heero wanted nothing more than to oblige, as he was still so exhausted, so sleepy-  
  
His aching head brought him back to where he was, and his memories as well.  
  
Duo, Gods no! I have to get back to my Duo! I can't be dead, just can't be! I won't let myself die! His mind screamed, panicked. He pushed away from his Leareth and started to run, not knowing where he was going, not caring, just having to get away from that terrible specter.  
  
"Heero, you've been dead more than a year. You can't go back now. It's too late!" Lady Death cried after him. "See your present!"  
  
A scene from deep space filled his eyes, solidified out of the mist at his feet. He gasped in horror at the sight that met him.  
  
Two wrecked Gundams were before him, along with the shrapnel remains of Treize's fleet. His body floated there, somehow having survived the destruction. Trowa's was several meters away.  
  
NO! I was stupid! There was another way! I should have stopped and concentrated! Trowa and I would be alive now!   
  
He DID stop then as he noticed. The bodies were still encased in their vacuum proof suits and the HBVT packs. The packs were filled with enough fuel to make it back to Earth, if they pushed. Heero turned to Death with a sardonic smile and closed his eyes. Flinging his mind out, he caught Trowa's spirit and drew his companion to him.  
  
Thank the Gods and Wufei for those damned meditation sessions! He thought grimly, then projected to Trowa,  
  
Hey, man, welcome back. Ready to go home?   
  
Trowa stared at him, then answered,  
  
Let's go.   
  
With a scornful salute to Leareth, Heero returned his attention to his body and slid in.  
  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
  
AC 197, May, Somewhere in sector 975  
  
Heero opened his eyes and looked at Trowa through the suit's plate mask.  
  
It worked! I can't believe it actually worked! Heero thought. Trowa saluted him. Both turned on the HBVT packs and headed home.  
  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
  
AC 197, May, The Pilot's Safehouse  
  
The door opened.  
  
Quatre was lying on the couch reading. Immediately, she jumped up, yanking her Holdout Dober Pistol out of its holster, and training it on the door.  
  
"Whoever you are, come in with your hands up!" She shouted.  
  
"Hey, girl, what kind of a welcome is that?" Trowa asked, entering the room, Heero right behind him.  
  
"TROWA!" She cried ecstatically, running into the pilot's arms. She glanced over his shoulder to look at Heero.  
  
"Duo and the kid are in your room."  
  
Since when does Quatre call Wufei "The Kid"? Heero wondered starting up the stairs.  
  
He got his answer upon entering the room. Duo was leaning over a crib at the foot of his bed. Heero's mouth dropped open in astonishment. A second later, as Duo turned, she was a mirror image of her love.  
  
"Oh, sketi!" Heero breathed, dropping into a chair.  
  
Eyes wide, Duo crossed the room. Tentatively, she stretched out a hand and touched Heero's face. Immediately, she flung herself against him, sobbing and holding him as tightly as she could, sobbing his name over and over.  
  
When she (and Heero himself) had calmed down a bit, he chuckled a little and said,  
  
"Well, looks like I'm gonna have to marry you now, after all!"  
  
"Well, I'm certainly not a whore!" She snapped, but choked a little over the final word. Heero perceived this, and asked,  
  
"Duo, ashke, what's the matter?"  
  
"Nothing."  
  
I'll never tell on Wufei, especially to Heero. She reflected. We're pilots, Gundam Pilots, and that's the closest tie anyone can have. 


End file.
